M AG N E TO RQ U E R RO D
PERFORMANCE
Magnetorquer Rod
F U N C T I ON A L C HA R A C TE R I S TI C S
Magnetic moment
From 1Am2 up to 100Am2
Linearity
± 5% across operating design range
Residual moment
< 0.1Am2
P H YS I C A L C H A R A C TE R I S TI C S
Length
8cm to 60cm available
Mounting feet
2, 3 or 4 depending on length
Mass
Approx. 55g/cm length (12mm core)
Power
1W
E N V I R ON ME N TA L C HA R A C TE R I S TI C S
Thermal (operational)
-35˚C to +75˚C
Vibration (qualification)
14g rms
Radiation (TID)
>100krad
I N T E RF A C E S
Power supply
5 Volt
Connector
9-way D-type male (micro-D on smaller rods)
Mechanical
Dual pins per winding and redundant winding
options available
ACCEPTANCE TESTING: All parts undergo random vibration (10 rms) as well as thermal cycling (four cycle ambient pressure) to five degrees beyond
operational thermal specifications. However, NewSpace can perform additional environmental testing if required by a client.
M AG N E TO RQ U E R RO D
FE ATUR E S
• High torque for low power
• Small size and low mass
• Adaptable for size, torque and power to meet optimal
system requirements
• Redundant windings
A PPLI C ATI ONS
• Active damping for spin stabilised, momentum biased and
gravity gradient controlled satellites
• Momentum dumping of reaction wheels in three axis
stabilised spacecraft
• Simple magnetic stabilisation
QUA LI FI C ATI ON
The NewSpace Systems’ magnetorquer rods comes from flight
heritage on the SaudiSat-4 and DX-1 Missions. More than forty
rods are in production or have been delivered for other missions
with upcoming launches
U T I LI T Y
Version: 4a
Magnetorquers offer a method of controlling
the attitude of a spacecraft either directly,
by interacting with the local Earth’s magnetic
field or, more usually, in combination with
reaction wheels. This secondary method
allows for the dumping of excess momentum
in the reaction wheels without the need for a
complex propulsion system.
T: +27 (0)21 300 0160
E: [email protected]
www.newspacesystems.com
NewSpace Systems (Pty) Ltd.
12 Cyclonite Street, The Interchange
Somerset West 7130, South Africa
The NewSpace magnetorquer rods use a
magnetic alloy rod which produces an
amplification effect over an air cored
magnetorquer. This allows a system that uses
less power and is less susceptible to magnetic
torque variations due to temperature.
Each rod is typically bifilar wound for
redundancy, or the windings can be
activated together to increase the torque
produced. While drive circuits for the rods
can be supplied if required, they typically run
directly between a switched power output
and the on-board power control system.